The Winter Warriors by Olivier Norek (translated by Nick Caistor)

It was the incredible true story at the centre of this novel that drew me to it - a story of which I had been previously unaware. Welcome to my review of The Winter Warriors by Olivier Norek and translated from French by Nick Caistor. My thanks to Anne Cater at Random Things Tours for inviting me and to the publisher for my review copy.

The Blurb

"Olivier Norek’s astonishing novel on the Soviet invasion of Finland is gripping, horrifying, and surprisingly moving, not least for his portrait of ‘The White Death’, perhaps the greatest sniper that ever lived. Impeccably researched and beautifully written, The Winter Warriors is perfect for fans of Ben Macintyre and Robert Harris” Paula Hawkins

November, 1939. A conscription officer arrives in the peaceful farming village of Rautjärvi. The Soviet Union has invaded, and for the first time in its history as an independent country, Finland is at war.

Setting off into the depths of winter to face the Red Army, the small group of childhood friends recruited from Rautjärvi have no idea whether any of them will ever return home. But their unit has a secret weapon: the young sniper Simo Häyhä, whose lethal skill in the snow-bound forests of the front line will earn him the nickname “The White Death”.

Drawing on the real-life figures and battles of the Finnish-Soviet Winter War, this is a gripping, page-turning historical thriller from one of Europe’s most acclaimed storytellers. 

My Review

I was very ignorant of the Russian-Finnish Winter War of 1939-1940 - I am not generally a great consumer of history as I find it needs to be presented in the right way to grab my attention and avoid feeling dry. Firstly, the true story at the centre of this novel is anything but dry, and, secondly, having it presented like this enables the reader to feel like they are there in the frozen trenches, in the midst of battle, facing a foe ten times bigger than they are. 

The author has clearly done an astounding amount of research, including spending a cold winter in Finland. Many of the central characters were real people - there are photographs of some of them at the back of the book - and the places and battles are real also. The author has given the soldiers on the Finnish side, real or not, a real sense of humanity. We see the strong bonds that build between comrades and the heartbreak and grief when those bonds are broken. And for the small group of friends at the centre of the story these bonds are even stronger. And, of course, we see the damage that war causes these young men, and a few women, whether they are physically injured or not. The sheer horror of what they see, what they are asked to do. Whether it's this war or any other, I doubt there is a single soldier amongst those who have seen active service who comes back unchanged. 

The young man at the centre of this story is fascinating. Simo Häyhä has grown up in the forest, is a fantastic shot but has a deep respect for his surroundings, only ever killing what he needs. He already has a reputation in his area due to his success at the Rifling Championship, despite his young age and small stature. He is ready to fight, to defend his country, but doesn't see himself as special. Others disagree. His slightly unhinged, alcoholic senior officer recognises Simo's skills and puts him to good use, but at what toll? The portrayal of Simo, his skill, his dedication, his loyalty, his pain and his anger is very detailed, upsetting in places and helps to put flesh on his bones.  

The Finnish countryside and weather play such a huge role in this book. During much of the war the temperature is below -35°C and lower, which is just incomprehensible to me, snow covers the ground and water is frozen. The descriptions of the forest are beautiful, as are the reactions of the conditions and battles, horrific though they are. But that weather, perilous and deadly as it is to the Finns it is so much worse for the Russians. And the descriptions of those left out in the cold are heartbreaking but beautiful in their own way. Particularly the description of one ill advised assault across water. 

The Winter Warriors is a lengthy novel but I read it in two days. I found it interesting, educational, horrifying and compulsive. And very well written. I recommend you read the author notes at the back of the book which explain about some of his research, which was varied and in depth. The only thing that didn't work so well in the e-book where the numbered references in the text which are all explained at the end - I would have preferred them as footnotes as it's not easy to go back and forth in an e-copy. But that was a teeny niggly thing. This is a book very well worth checking out - a great account of an important moment of history. 

The Author

After 18 years in the French police force, Olivier Norek turned to crime writing. Between Two Worlds was the Times and Sunday Times Crime Novel of the Year 2024.

While researching for this novel, Norek spent three months (the duration of the war itself) in Finland, experiencing the -35°C conditions in which the war was fought and in which more than 130,000 Russian soldiers died before the Soviet Union signed a peace treaty in March 1940.